Electric is the future of mobility solutions – This has been established very firmly over the last couple of years with more and more electric vehicles (EVs) being seen in the market
Electric revolution has been kick-started primarily by business houses specialised in electrical technology and new start-ups. Over the last few years, mainstream automotive manufacturers have also started showing increasing interest in this field.
Automakers have started investing in building new platforms to support an electric powertrain setup. Stricter emission norms and rise in fuel prices have also made automakers think of adopting electric tech. Many conventional automakers have joined this bandwagon and are planning to launch their electric powered vehicle in the near future.
The latest example is from Honda which is planning to develop a new electric bike, based on the Honda CB125R. A new set of leaked patent images, confirm that Honda is working on an all electric entry level motorcycle. The leaked images reveal a lot of similarities with the CB125R especially the cycle and chassis parts.
The patent images showcase an almost complete motorcycle which suggests that Honda might have started working on this electric bike or at least Honda’s R&D must have finalised on a design. The detailing shown in the patents hints that it is definitely more than a concept model.
As with patents, there are no official details attached with them. Neither does it have a name nor its existence confirmed by the company officially. However, it can be clearly seen from the images that the body and frame resemble that of CB125 with housing for an electric drivetrain. From the looks of it, the motor makes out to be a pancake-style design with a slim profile and a large diameter.
Expected Performance
The platform is already tested to deliver / handle certain level of performance. Considering that the new Honda electric motorcycle is based on the CB125R, expect the overall performance to be of similar standards. The gasoline powered 125cc unit in CB125R can attain a top speed of 130 kmph and generate 13 bhp of maximum power. The electric bike is also expected to deliver similar performance, although initial acceleration is expected to be a lot quicker since the maximum torque is instantaneously available in an electric powertrain.
According to Visordown, almost 75 percent of the electric motorcycle’s parts will be directly taken from CB125R. This should make it easier for Honda to develop a production model of the same. If Honda does bring out a production-spec of this electric bike, it will surely garner a lot of attention from all corners.
